Method and apparatus for geographic-based communications service

ABSTRACT

A geographic-based communications service system has a mobile unit for transmitting/receiving information, and access points connected to a network. The access points are arranged in a known geographic locations and transmit and receive information from the mobile unit. When one of the access points detects the presence of the mobile unit, it sends a signal to the network indicating the location of the mobile unit and the information requested by the mobile unit. Based on the signal received from the access point, the network communicates with information providers connected to the network and provides data to the mobile unit through the access point corresponding to the location of the mobile unit.

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/382,551filed Aug. 25, 1999, titled “Method and Apparatus for Geographic-BasedCommunications Service”, which was a continuation of application Ser.No. 09/186,131, filed Nov. 4, 1998, titled “System for Hybrid Wired andWireless Geographic-Based Communications Service, now U.S. Pat. No.5,969,678, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/470,004,filed Jun. 6, 1995, titled “Method and Apparatus for Geographic-BasedCommunications Service” now U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,061.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to a geographic-based communicationsservice and, more particularly, is concerned with an apparatus andmethod for using known locations of wireless local area network accesspoints (APs) to service mobile users (MUs) of portable smart devices(e.g., notebook, personal computers, PDA, etc.) who are in the vicinityof these APs.

2. Related Art

As technology improvements result in smaller, lighter and more portablecomputing devices, a wide variety of new applications and users willemerge. Users will not only operate such devices in stand alone mode,but with portability, users will also require the ability to send andreceive information through such devices at any location. The need tocommunicate will arise in circumstances where hard wired links may notbe readily available or practical or when the user of the portablecomputing device cannot be reached immediately. Moreover, a result ofuser mobility is that the precise location of the user is often variableor not determined. Conventional communications systems for computingdevices are not equipped to handle such communication scenarios.

Commercially available personal computers or other similar devices aregenerally equipped with industry standard interface ports for driving aperipheral device such as a printer, a plotter, or a modem. Whileoperating in an unknown, remote location not connected to a network, theportable personal computer user may be unaware of messages waiting forhim. In addition, conventionally, the user must wait until reaching anoffice or other place with appropriate equipment to receive suchmessages and to transmit or print documents or other informationprepared by the user on his personal device.

By way of example and not limitation, one type of mobile user is thetraveller who passes through airports or similar mass transit centers(e.g., subway commuters), uses ground transportation and stays in ahotel. In a typical scenario, a traveller may use a personal computer toperform calculations or prepare documents on a personal computing deviceduring an airplane flight. Simultaneously, associates may leave messagesfor the traveller on a network. In conventional systems, the users'swork product and messages destined for the user are not available untilthe user arrives at a location where a wired connection to the user'snetwork is available.

A further example of inefficiencies for the traveller concerns travelarrangements themselves. After arriving at an airport, the travellerproceeds to a car rental desk or to some other transportation location.The traveller typically waits in line while the car rental agencyinquires about automobile preference, driver's license, method ofpayment, type of insurance required, etc. Having experienced some delay,the traveller is now on his way to a business location or hotel. Uponarriving at a hotel check-in/registration desk, the traveller oftenexperiences further delay waiting in line and providing the check-inclerk with routine information such as address, length of stay, type ofroom desired, method of payment, etc. In addition, the businesstraveller must call back to his office to check for telephone messages,thereby incurring further delays.

While accessing data bases for information about the traveller, hispreferences and requirements can reduce such delays, a commoncharacteristic is that the pending arrival or presence of the travelleris not known to those who can act in advance. Further, conventionalsystems cannot generally locate a mobile user of a personal computingdevice and take advantage of that information to reduce the timerequired to complete routine activities or to provide the user optionsthat can enhance the user's productivity.

In another example, when a user dials a telephone number to an automaticteller machine (ATM) locator, the user is prompted to key in his areacode and exchange prefix. The locator system then identifies one or moreATMs within the user's area. However, the system requires the user tocall in and cannot locate the user any more accurately than thetelephone exchange area. Thus, the user could be advised of an ATM quitea physical distance from the user's location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above limitations of the related art an object of theinvention is to provide a system in which a mobile user can begeographically located automatically.

It is another object of the invention to provide a is system which canautomatically locate a user with greater precision than is currentlyavailable.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a system whichintegrates personal computing devices to networks such that routinetasks, such as travel routing can be accomplished more efficiently.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a system thatallows a user to employ a personal computing device more effectively andto utilize otherwise idle time, such as time spent waiting at a carrental desk, a hotel registration desk and the like.

According to the invention, mobile users communicate with wireless localarea networks within the range of an access point (AP). When a userpasses an access point, the access point recognizes the user, and theuser's device can then retrieve data (telephone, E-mail messages, etc.)waiting for the user and transmit information (E-mail messages, printdocuments, requests for information from service providers, etc.) thatthe user may have for transmission to a desired recipient. For instance,this process could occur as a user exits an airplane and is detected byan access point in an airport.

Accordingly, the present invention is a directed toward a method andapparatus for using known locations of local area network APs (accesspoints) to service mobile users who are in the vicinity of these APs.Such access points and mobile units typically communicate with eachother in a wireless manner. The method according to the inventionincludes the steps of: (a) detecting the presence of a mobile unit inthe vicinity of an access point and (b) transmitting/receivinginformation from the mobile unit to/from the network through the accesspoint.

According to the invention, information and services can be provided byvarious providers connected to the network which are able to respond tounanticipated requests or which have acquired knowledge about the user'srequirements, preferences and habits over a period of time and haveextrapolated information from the user's past practices for probablefuture actions consistent with these past actions.

For example, in one application, an access point receives a print jobfrom a user's mobile unit and sends it to a printer available at adestination point designated by the user so that the document is printedand available to the user upon his arrival at his destination. Inanother application according to the invention, upon detecting thearrival of a user's mobile unit at a destination, a message, forexample, an E-mail message, is sent to the user's rental car agency. Theagency can take appropriate actions so that the user's rental car isready and the user does pot waste time waiting in line. Using a similarapproach, a user can be pre-registered at a hotel so that his room isready upon arrival.

Thus, according to the invention, a geographic-based communicationsservice system for mobile users includes a mobile unit for transmittingand receiving information and a plurality of access points connected toa network and arranged at known locations in a geographic region fortransmitting the information to and receiving the information from saidmobile unit. One of the access points detects the presence of a mobileunit and sends a signal to the network. A plurality of informationproviders are connected to the network. The network accesses theinformation providers based on the signal received from a mobile unitvia the access points to provide data to the mobile unit or to anotherentity on behalf of the user of the mobile unit. In particular, theknown location of the access point detecting the presence of the mobileunit defines the location of said mobile unit. Based on the location ofthe mobile unit as detected by the AP, a service provider on the networkcan take actions appropriate to the user's location, such as notifying acar rental agency of the user's presence or notifying the user ofcanceled flights and adjustments to the user's itinerary. Furtheraccording to the invention, clocks in the user's mobile device and eventschedules can be updated automatically to correspond to the present timein the time zone where the access point detecting the user's mobile unitis located.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a representation of the geographic-based communicationsservice system, according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a mobile unit interfacing with an accesspoint, according to the system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a geographic-based communications service system, generallydesignated 1, according to the invention. The system includes a mobileunit (e.g., portable computer) 5, an AP (access point) 10, aninformation provider 20, a management information base (MIB) 25 and acentralized network 15. The information provider 20 will typically havea processor 21 and memory 22 with controlled access thereto. Typically,access point 10 and mobile unit 5 communicate in a wireless manner.Thus, mobile unit 5 and access point 10 would be equipped with anappropriate transmitter and receiver compatible in power and frequencyrange to establish such a wireless communication link. In addition,mobile unit would also be equipped with a code generator which generatesan identification code that can be transmitted to and recognized by theaccess point 10 or a system accessed through access point 10. Such anidentification code allows recognition of a user before providing accessto system services, thereby providing a measure of security and aservice billing mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an implementation of the communicationbetween the mobile unit 5 and an access point 10. In step 30, the accesspoint 10 determines whether the mobile unit 5 is within the range of theaccess point 10. In steps 35 and 40, the access point 10 scans themobile unit 5 and determines whether the mobile unit I.D. (identity)matches a prestored I.D., and in step 45, the communication between themobile unit 5 and the access point 10 begins. The communication betweenmobile unit 5 and access point 10 may include sending and receivinginformation which may include text, voice data and video data.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 a first step according to the invention isestablishing a connection between a mobile unit and an access point.Referring again to FIG. 1, the mobile unit 5 can send a beacon signalthat is picked up by one of the APs 10 located in a plurality oflocations within a geographic region. When the beacon signal is pickedup by a particular AP 10, the beacon signal is transmitted back to themanagement information base (MIB) 25 by AP 10. Since the location of theaccess point is defined and known by MIB 25, detection of the presenceof the mobile unit by an AP 10 allows MIB 25 to know exactly where themobile user is located at any given time. For example, the MIB couldstore the latitude, longitude, altitude, and other geographicinformation such as a local map of the area of each access point.

The precision available in this type of mapping scheme is distinguishedfrom that typically achieved in a cellular telephone system. In acellular telephone system a user transmits a beacon signal at a fixedfrequency. When the user moves from a first “cell” to a second “cell”,the receiver located at the midpoint of the first cell no longer picksup the beacon signal, and the receiver located at the midpoint of thesecond cell picks up the beacon signal. A cellular telephone “handoff”in which the phone call is now under control of the second cell thentakes place. It is only possible to locate the user to a relativelylarge area defined by the cells. There is no provision for locating theuser more precisely within the cell. Thus, a cellular system is limitedin its ability to provide services requiring the precise location of theuser.

In the present invention, it is only necessary to provide the mobileunit a method of determining its own location. It is not necessary toprovide tracking of the mobile unit's whereabouts. For example, uponestablishing a connection with an AP 10, the mobile unit 5 can transmita message inquiring “Where is this AP?” Upon receiving the answer thatthe AP 10 is located at the user's destination airport, the mobile unitcan then transmit an E-mail to a car rental agency or hotel to AP 10. AP10 routes the message through a network connected to AP 10 so that theuser's car or hotel room is ready upon his arrival. Once the message isprovided to the AP, it is not necessary to continue to track the user.

In another approach according to the invention, one or more selected APs10 can be programmed to watch for the arrival of a particular mobileunit (target mobile unit). Upon detecting the presence of the targetmobile unit, the AP 10 establishing the link with the target mobile unitsends a message directly to the rental car agency, hotel, etc. Since themessage has been sent, other APs can then be directed to cease watchingfor the target mobile unit.

Another feature according to the invention allows the user to access aservice provider over a network connected through the access point. Forexample, upon establishing its location, a mobile unit can direct aninquiry through the AP over the network connected to the user's bank tolocate the nearest ATM. Since the user's location is established withrelative precision by the location of the AP, the service provider canrespond with a message such as “Straight ahead to exit 3, turn right andproceed two blocks.” The message is routed to the user through the sameAP.

According to the invention, service can be initiated by the mobileunit's transmission of an inquiry requiring a response. Alternatively,service can be initiated by an element of the network, such as a serviceprovider, when an AP 10 detects the presence of a mobile unit. As anelement of the network, the AP 10 could access its memory to initiatethe service or transmit a message over the network to a service providerwho initiates the appropriate service.

A system according to the invention would include a plurality of APs andmobile units and could be configured to allow all users access to allservice providers on a network or to allow selected users access toselected service providers, depending on a service profile contractedfor by the user. For example, according to the invention, systemsoftware could be programmed to provide service gates in which a useridentification code is compared with a list of authorized codes foraccess to the particular service. In addition, users could contract forunlimited access for a fixed fee or for time billed access or somecombination thereof. Service usage records for billing and otherpurposes can be maintained in an automated database, so that users canbe billed by a single entity that maintains the network of APs orindividually by each service provider.

Assume, for example, that a user of the mobile unit 5 is located at anairport and that several APs 10 are located at the same airport. Themobile unit 5 is connected to an antenna 6, and the AP 10 is connectedto an antenna 8 which can both receive and transmit radio frequency (RF)signals at designated transmit and receive frequency bands. RF signalsover-the-air from AP 10 are received by the antenna 6, and sent tomobile unit 5.

The mobile unit 5 can send information to the AP 10, for example, inorder to retrieve messages or obtain information needed by the user orto send messages and data to other users. These messages are entered bythe user through the mobile unit 5 or can be automatically generated, asin the previously described case of sending a message to a car rentalcompany signalling the user's arrival at the airport. During thisprocess, antenna 6 transmits the RF signal which is received by antenna8 and sent to AP 10.

In one embodiment, when a beacon signal output from the mobile unit 5 isdetected and received by AP 10, information in the beacon signalidentifying the mobile unit is transmitted back to network 15. Theinformation sent back to network 15 includes the identification numberof the mobile unit 5 and AP 10, thereby identifying both the user andhis location to the network. Using this identification and locationdata, network 15 provides desired services (or arranges to providedesired services by accessing appropriate providers) and essentialinformation to the user of the mobile unit 5. Based on the type ofinformation required, network 15 may access one or more informationproviders 20 to provide the information or services to the user. One ormore information providers 20 are coupled to network 15 in aring-network configuration, a star-network configuration, or other typeof connection known in the art.

Other query/response approaches to link the mobile unit 5 and AP 10could also be employed within the scope of the invention. For example,AP 10 could scan its coverage area, thereby causing a mobile unit 5 inthe area to generate a response using active or passive circuitry. Sucha response could be either a simple presence indication causing the AP10 to transmit a further inquiry message requesting the mobile unit'sidentification information. Alternatively, in response to an AP scan,the mobile 5 could transmit its identification data immediately. Since amobile unit may be in an area serviced by an AP for some time, eitherthe AP or the mobile unit could be configured to determine if anycorrespondence is necessary before engaging in further communication.

In a simplified configuration according to the invention, the mobileunit could be configured merely as a device to locate its user throughthe APs 10. In this case, a processor on the network 15 would then takethe appropriate action, such as sending an E-mail to the user's carrental agency, upon detection of the user's presence by an AP.

Network 15 shown in FIG. 2 stores information in the MIB 25. MIB 25 is amechanism, such as a memory, which allows the persistent storage ofinformation needed by network 15 to operate. Examples of suchinformation include a directory of all the elements (APs, mobile units,etc) in the network, the topology of the network, characteristics ofindividual network elements, characteristics of connection links,performance and trend statistics, and any information which is ofinterest in the operation of the network 15. For example, the MIB wouldstore the precise longitude, latitude, altitude and other geographicinformation pinpointing the location of each AP 10. Alternatively, anaccess point can be located by its proximity to another known location.For example, an access point location may be defined as a particularhotel known to be a particular address or having known latitude andlongitude coordinates. The extent of geographic area covered by anaccess point may be defined in the same ways.

In order to reduce message traffic over the network, all or part of MIBmay be stored at one or more access points 10. In particular, staticinformation which does not change, or changes relatively infrequently,can be stored in the AP 10. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, AP 10 includes amemory 27 for storing at least a portion of the MIB. For example, memory27 could store the location of the AP 10, the local map, local servicesand other information, such that routine requests for information fromthe mobile unit, such as “Where am I” requests need not be serviced overthe network, leaving more resources for other message traffic.

By way of example and not limitation, service and information providers20 may include car rental agencies, hotels, restaurants, airlinereservation centers, banks, taxi services, bus and train reservationoffices, printing services, on-line database services, message services,and E-mail providers, so that the user can receive messages. The systemaccording to the invention may also provide the user access to updateson specific databases, such as a database maintained by the user'semployer (e.g., a company rolodex) or the user's own personal databasesand any other service which can be used in a remote manner.

Any of the service and information providers 20 may maintain in memorydata files on members and subscribing merchants and have the ability toextract data from past transactions for each of the users to facilitatefuture plans. In this way, the service providers have available theinformation to learn the past habits and preferences of theirsubscribers and provide corresponding services for new transactions.

For example, upon learning that a business traveller is scheduling atrip to Austin, service and information providers 20 consider theprevious trips by the traveller develop a suggested itinerary, and booktravel, hotel, car and restaurant reservations. The informationproviders 20 acquire knowledge about the habits of the traveller over aperiod of time, store the information in a memory, and extrapolateinformation from past habits for probable future actions consistent withthese past actions. For example, when arranging for a rental car, theinformation stored in the service provider's memory for a particularsubscriber may indicate that the subscriber typically requests a fourdoor intermediate size car. Referencing this information, the serviceprovider would now reserve a similar vehicle, unless otherwiseinstructed by the mobile unit.

A system according to the invention also has processing and memoryaccess to operate in an interactive or adaptable mode. For example, whenthe user of the mobile unit 5 arrives at the airport, his identity, aswell as the fact that he is at the airport, is detected by AP 10 andtransmitted to the network, for example using the beacon signal emittedfrom his mobile unit 5, as previously described. One or more serviceproviders with access to transportation schedules, flight statusinformation, hotel or automobile rental information, weatherinformation, ground maps or other information desired by the useremploys network 15 to send the user updated information about whether aconnecting flight has been delayed, alternative routings, where to go topick up a pre-specified rental car, directions to a preferred hotel andother types of information.

Since the location of the AP 10 communication with a mobile unit 5 isknown precisely, service and information provider 20 can employprocessors to provide only suitable information to the user and cantrack the user's last reported location. For example, since updatedinformation can be sent to the mobile unit 5, based on the location ofthe mobile unit 5, information that is pertinent only to the fact thatthe user of the mobile unit 5 is at the airport need be sent back to themobile unit 5 via the communication path between AP 10 and the mobileunit 5. Other information can be sent at other times.

For purposes of illustration, FIG. 1 shows one AP 10 and one service andinformation provider 20 connected to network 15. However, any number ofsuch APs and service and information providers would typically beconnected to network 15 to service any number of mobile units, the onlylimitations being physical ones, such as constraints on bandwidth.

In a variation of a system according to the invention, the mobile unit 5initiates a request for information from the network 15. For example,the user of the mobile unit 5 finds the location of the nearestautomatic teller machine (ATM) by entering the request into the mobileunit 5, which will be received by the nearest AP 10. AP 10 forwards thisrequest for information to the network 15. Network 15 routes the requestto a service and information provider who obtains the requestedinformation transmits it back to mobile unit 5 through AP 10.

In another variation of a system according to the invention, network 15is connected to other types of communications networks, such as a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN), whereby the user of the mobile unit 5sends and receives information from/to the PSTN or other communicationnetwork through a service provider. The service provider would employprocessors and other apparatus to convert protocols and data formatsfrom those used on the network 15 to those compatible with the PSTN orother communication network. For example, the user may receive facsimileinformation from a PSTN connected to the network 15.

Another feature according to the invention is the ability to adjust timeclocks in the mobile unit to display and generate schedules using thecorrect time in the time zone where the user is located. This featurecould be accomplished by storing in the MIB a time zone identifying codefor each access point and during communication between an access pointand a mobile unit, notifying the mobile unit of the correct zone.Alternatively, the time zone information could be stored in the accesspoint or the access point could be instructed to check with a timereference (e.g., Greenwich Mean Time) and calculate local time.Alternatively, the time zone could be determined for the longitude ofthe access point stored in the MIB. This determination could be madeeither by the information provider and transmitted as a time zonemessage to the mobile unit or could be determined in the mobile unitusing the longitude information of the access point.

Still another feature according to the invention is the ability toprovide customized messages based an the location of the active accesspoint or an the user's profile. For example, a user accessing a networkthrough an access point in a hotel may be provided information aboutpromotions offered by that hotel or other affiliated hotels, airlines,car rental agencies or other providers of goods and services.

The apparatus and method according to the invention and many of itsattendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing descriptionand it will be apparent that various changes may be made in form,construction and arrangement of the parts thereof without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the form described here being merely a preferred embodimentthereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A geographic-based communications service system,comprising: a portable computing device carried by a mobile user,wherein the portable computing device is operable to communicate in awireless fashion; a network; a plurality of wireless access pointscoupled to the network and arranged at known locations in a geographicregion, wherein a first wireless access point in proximity to theportable computing device is operable to communicate with the portablecomputing device in a wireless fashion, wherein the first wirelessaccess point is operable to transmit information to the portablecomputing device, wherein a content of the information is dependent upona known location of the first wireless access point.
 2. Thegeographic-based communications service system of claim 1 wherein eachof the plurality of wireless access points is configured to detect theportable computing device; wherein, after detection of the portablecomputing device by the first wireless access point in proximity to theportable computing device, the first wireless access point is operableto transmit the information to the portable computing device.
 3. Thegeographic-based communications service system of claim 1 wherein thefirst wireless access point transmits the known location to a memoryassociated with the portable computing device, thereby advising theportable computing device of its location.
 4. The geographic-basedcommunications service system of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofwireless access points are located in an airport.
 5. Thegeographic-based communications service system of claim 1, wherein theplurality of wireless access points are located in a hotel.
 6. Thegeographic-based communications service system of claim 1, furthercomprising: one or more information providers coupled to the network;wherein a first information provider is operable to receive the knownlocation of the first wireless access point; wherein the firstinformation provider selects the information to provide to the portablecomputing device based on the known location of the first wirelessaccess point, wherein the first information provider is operable toprovide the information through the network and to the first wirelessaccess point for transmission to the portable computing device.
 7. Thegeographic-based communications service system of claim 6, wherein theone or more information providers include one or more of car rentalagencies, hotels, restaurants, airline reservation centers, banks, taxiservices, and bus and train reservation offices.
 8. The geographic-basedcommunications service system of claim 1, further comprising: aplurality of information providers coupled to the network, wherein eachof the information providers is operable to provide the informationthrough the network and to the first wireless access point fortransmission to the portable computing device.
 9. The geographic-basedcommunications service system of claim 1, further comprising: amanagement information base for storing at least one of a topology ofthe network, a directory of elements coupled to the network,characteristics of individual ones of said elements, characteristics ofconnection links, and performance and trend statistics of the network;wherein said management information base provides location data to thefirst wireless access point.
 10. The geographic-based communicationsservice system of claim 1, wherein the network includes one or more of alocal area network and a wide area network.
 11. The geographic-basedcommunications service system of claim 1, wherein the portable computingdevice includes a time clock, said time clock being updated to provide atime corresponding to actual time in a time zone in which said portablecomputing device is located, wherein a location of said portablecomputing device is determined in accordance with the known location ofsaid first wireless access point.
 12. The geographic-basedcommunications service system of claim 1, wherein said informationcomprises advertising related to goods or services; wherein saidadvertising is based upon the known location of said first wirelessaccess point.
 13. The geographic-based communications service system ofclaim 1, wherein said information comprises travel information.
 14. Thegeographic-based communications service system of claim 1, wherein saidinformation comprises a nearest location of a service provider relativeto the first wireless access point.
 15. An airport-based network systemwhich provides geographic-based information, comprising: a portablecomputing device carried by a mobile user; a network comprised in theairport; a plurality of wireless access points located in the airportand coupled to the network, wherein the plurality of wireless accesspoints are arranged at known locations in the airport, wherein each ofsaid plurality of wireless access points is configured to communicatewith the portable computing device, wherein a first wireless accesspoint of said plurality of wireless access points in proximity to saidportable computing device is operable to transmit information to saidportable computing device, wherein a content of said information isdependent upon a known location of said first wireless access point;wherein the portable computing device and the first wireless accesspoint communicate in a wireless fashion.
 16. A hotel-based networksystem which provides geographic-based information, comprising: aportable computing device carried by a mobile user; a network comprisedin the hotel; a plurality of wireless access points located in the hoteland coupled to the network, wherein the plurality of wireless accesspoints are arranged at known locations in the hotel, wherein each ofsaid plurality of access points is configured to communicate with saidportable computing device, wherein a first wireless access point of saidplurality of wireless access points in proximity to said portablecomputing device is operable to transmit information to said portablecomputing device, wherein a content of said information is dependentupon a known location of said first wireless access point; wherein theportable computing device and the first access point communicate in awireless fashion.